Srinagar, May 19
University of Kashmir (KU), after going through a tedious admission process, is now grappling with hostel admissions, which does not seem to be a smooth ride for the university either. The two hostels of boys of KU in Naseem Bagh have only 55 seats although nearly 1,000 students of the fresh batch would need hostel accommodation.

As per the circular issued by the Provost of the university last month, there are only 55 seats available in the two boys' hostels, which have left the fresh entrants with very less choice.

Pertinently, University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmad had remarked that the problem of shortage of hostel accommodation was being addressed and new hostels would be constructed on the Zakura campus of the university.

"We know that the students, particularly boys, suffer due to lack of space for boarding on the university premises. But, KU has a history of severe shortage of hostels. I am told that 10 years ago, there was only one hostel on the campus. Now, there are two boys' and three girls' hostels here. We will upgrade these facilities, but that would be on the Zakura campus," Prof Talat said.

However, the assurances of the KU management are hardly serving any purpose, especially for the fresh batch of students, who are having a tough time finding suitable place for boarding and lodging.

"It is not easy to rent a private accommodation outside the campus as charges have gone exceptionally high and out of our budget. Even applying for a limited 55 seats seems out of bound as authorities are picking those students who are affluent. We are left with no choice, other than to settle for PG accommodations outside the campus at high rates," said Zain Ahmad, an MA English Ist semester student, hailing from Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

Students have urged the authorities to introduce a transparent system of admission to the hostel on the lines of Delhi University and Jamia Milla Islamia, Delhi.

"Now that there is an acute shortage of accommodation on the university campus, the seats should go to meritorious students or else the university should conduct an entrance examination for admissions to the campus hostels like in DU and Jamia Millia Islamia," Munazah Bhat, an MSc botany student said.

Srinagar, May 19
The sewage treatment plant (STP) at Brari Numbal, which is aimed at keeping the water of the Dal Lake clean, would be made operational within two months. The STP with a capacity of 16.10 million liters per day would help in preventing influx of sewage from various localities into the Dal Lake.

“There are three STPs already functioning around the Dal Lake, but the Brari Numbal STP has a huge capacity and with its commissioning, it will be ensured that no sewage is pumped into the lake,” said an official of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) which has constructed the plant.

The Brari Numbal STP would cater to the sewage of the entire Boulvard road upto the old city in Rainwari. Though there is an STP in the area, but it is outdated and the new STP would help in keeping the waters of the lake clean.

The Brari Numbal STP is coming up at a cost of Rs 22 crore and the work for its commissioning is in full swing.

“Laying of pipes at Dawood Khaki bridge and Munarabad area is in progress. Almost 99.5 per cent pipelines have already been laid and the remaining work would be completed very soon. Out of Rs 22 crore almost 85 per cent of the funds have been spent on the project,” said another official.

“The Brari Numbal STP along with Nallah Amir Khan STP which has a capacity of 5.4 million liters per day and is presently functional and catering to Omar Colony (B) Batshah Mohalla, Mughal Mohalla, Ashraf Mohalla, Bhagwanpora areas will help to restore the lake to its pristine glory,” he added.

“These two STPs will prevent 100 per cent influx of sewage into the Dal lake,” the officer said.

The Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies Nawang Rigzin Jora was recently told that the STP would be functional within two months during his surprise visit to the plant.

Srinagar, May 19
Two persons, including a five-year-old boy, were killed and five others injured in separate road accidents in Kashmir Valley, a police spokesperson said here today. A Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) turned turtle near Iqbal Abad in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district resulting in on-the-spot death of the vehicle driver, the spokesman said.

He said the driver had been identified as Danish Ahmad Baba, a resident of Anantnag’s Gulshan Abad locality.

In another accident in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, Faizan Ahmad Malla (5) of Markundal village was hit by a cab near Sumbal. The injured boy was shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries, the spokesman said.

In the city, a motorcyclist hit and injured a pedestrian identified as Tariq Ahmad Hakeem, a resident of Mandir Bagh, near Baghat Chowk. The injured was later shifted to a hospital for treatment.

An unknown vehicle hit and injured an unidentified person on the national highway near SDA building in Bemina on the city outskirts. The injured was shifted to JVC Hospital from where he was referred to SKIMS, Soura, in a critical condition.

An 80-year-old man was injured when he was hit by a car near Main Chowk in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Ghulam Mohammad Gojri, a resident of Shot Muqam, was shifted to SKIMS Hospital here for treatment.

In central Kashmir’s Budgam district, a truck collided with a car at Gopalpora. Driver of one of the vehicles identified as Mohammad Rafiq Shah of Char-e-Sharief was injured in the mishap. The injured was immediately shifted to SKIMS Hospital.

An unidentified vehicle hit and injured a pedestrian identified as Kowser Ahmed Ganai of Kanganhall in Anantnag district. The injured was shifted to SKIMS Hospital.

Separate cases were registered in all the accidents, the spokesman said. 

Srinagar May 19
Wild animals continue to haunt people in many villages of Handwara tehsil in Kupwara district. This morning, a leopard attacked and injured Mohammad Ramzan Gujar (43) at Kilpora Rajwar, 16 km from Handwara.

Gujar was attacked in his vegetable field by the animal. Following hue and cry, he was rescued and shifted to Behnipora health centre, where he is undergoing treatment. Villagers later protested against the Wildlife Department. They said they were living under constant fear of wild animals on prowl in the village.

The increasing fear of attacks from wild animals has forced residents to abstain from work in orchards and vegetable fields.

Sources said a bear mauled three girls and a five-year-old boy in two different incidents in Ganderbal district.

Bear appeared in a field at Watlur, Ganderbal, and attacked Maimoona Banoo, Posha Bano and Saleema Akhtar. Family members of the victims alleged that no doctor was available at the mobile maternity centre, Watlar. However, Chief Medical Officer, Ganderbal, Dr Mehmooda Kar denied the allegations.

In another incident at Tick Bagh, Nunar, Ganderbal, Mohammad Hussain (5) was injured by a bear when he was walking along side a field. He was shifted to SKIMS, sources said.

Local residents said about a dozen leopards were roaming in Handwara villages posing threat to their lives. They said they were forced to accompany children to schools due to the fear of attacks from wild animals.

“Children are more prone to attacks from wild animals. We are forced to take children to the schools and accompany them back to home,” said Rafiq Ahmad Sheikh, a trader from Mawar.

They demanded that cages be set up in the villages to trap the animals. “The department has not set up even a single cage in the village. The animals come down to villages even during the daytime and the department can easily trap the animals in cages. We fear to venture out of our homes after the sunset,” said Mohammad Amin, a farmer from Shatgund.

The villages reeling under the fear of wild animals include Hanjishot, Warpora, Rajwar, Rajpora, Zachaldara, Bawan, Shanu, Shatgund, Muqam, Harwat, Ringpath, Kaynyal, Badbukh, Hanga and Manzgam.

“Dozens of leopards are freely roaming in Mawar and its adjoining villages and dozens of cattle have been killed,” he added. A leopard on Friday killed three goats in the cowshed of Bashir Ahmad Dar of Warpora. Residents of Zachaldar, Ringpath and adjoining villages said wild animals mostly leopards intensify their movement in the evening hours and pose serious threat to human lives.

Residents of Zachaldara, Bawan, Hanjishot and Shatgund said they were arranging fires near cowsheds to scare away the wild animals. “The leopards often attack cowsheds to kill livestock. We try to scare them away by arranging fires near the cowsheds. For how long, we will be able to do this arduous task,” asked Mohammad Amin Sheikh, a fruit grower of Bawan.

Block Officer, Wildlife, Habibullah Mir said, “Despite acute shortage of manpower, we are trying our best to reach out to the affected villages. We will set up cages and also use tranquilisers to trap the wild animals.”

“People especially the children should not venture out of their houses during the evening hours,” he added.

Srinagar, May 19
Online adventure sports in the Valley have become a new fascination among the Kashmiri youth and the Department of Tourism is not holding back from venturing into the online adventure sports arena.

As a part of the ongoing Kashmir Tourism Festival, the Department of Tourism, in conjunction with loudbeetle.in, a self-help group of young activists, organised a two-day e-gaming championship, which kicked off at Kashmir Haat, Jehangir Chowk, here today.

More than 150 boys from various Srinagar-based schools and colleges registered for the event to participate in three online games, Need For Speed, Tekken and FIFA-13.

Deputy Director, Tourism Department, Shabir Ahmad declared the event open and soon the boys took hold of the various e-games apparatus to play the games of their choice.

The championship revolves around the theme, ‘lose and vacate’, which implies that the participant who loses in the first instance will have to quit the game.

“A participant will get only one trial and if he wins, he will play till the later stages,” Ahmar Khan, one of the organisers, said.

The best e-gamers from Srinagar are participating in the championship and the event is likely to pull more crowd tomorrow.

Tourism officials are now banking on e-gaming and clubbing it under “adventure sports” to promote the talent of Kashmiri youth.

Besides promoting adventure sports like rock climbing, river rafting, cycling and mountain running during the festival, the e-adventure sports is a new addition to the list of the Tourism Festival activities.

“We have around 20 boys who are volunteering in the festival and we even got some queries from girls regarding their participation. Right now, this is an all-boys event. We are thinking of even having this kind of championship for girls ,” said Ishaan Fazili, an organiser.

Srinagar, May 19
Condemning his house arrest, moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has said the state government has lost its credibility and control over the administrative affairs.

He made these comments during his telephonic address to a seminar which was organised by a Hurriyat faction at its Rajbagh headquarters today. Though Mirwaiz was scheduled to attend the seminar, he, however, could not make it to the venue due his house arrest at his Nigeen residence.

The moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is currently observing a week-long programme of seminars and rallies to commemorate the death anniversaries of two separatist leaders, Abdul Gani Lone and Molvi Mohammad Farooq.

Molvi Farooq, the father of Mirwaiz Umar, was assassinated by unidentified gunmen on May 21, 1990, while Abdul Gani Lone was killed on May 21 in 2002 also by the gunmen.

“Hurriyat Conference condemns the actions of the government and its agencies, which has now resorted to detentions and arrests,” Mirwaiz said.

Mirwaz said the Hurriyat had been striving to achieve its goal through a peaceful struggle.

The other separatists who spoke during the seminar included Molvi Abbas Ansari, Aga Syed Hassan, Yasmmmen Raja and Prof Abdul Gani Bat.

Srinagar, May 19
A trekking expedition and a cleanliness drive was held at Verinag tourist resort in south Kashmir today, as a part of the ongoing ‘Kashmir Tourism Festival’, being held to attract more tourists to the Valley.

A Tourism Department official said several locals and tourists participated in the trekking expedition at Verinag that was followed by a cleanliness drive and a cultural programme.

The two-week festival was kick-started on May 14 with several airlines and hotels offering discounts so that the tourist arrival got back on track as the sector had been hit hard in the aftermath of the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru in February.

The Tourism Department is also organising a heritage photo and painting competition tomorrow at Martand Sun Temple, Mattan, in south Kashmir, as a part of the festival. While a host of competitions and events have been held since the inauguration of the festival, several events, including a horse race and painting competition, was held at Yousmarg in central Kashmir today. Around 25 students also took part in a trekking expedition yesterday from Yousmarg to Doodpathri.

Alongside the ‘Kashmir Tourism Festival’, the authorities are also simultaneously holding a two-month ‘folk festival’, inaugurated on May 4. While a colourful cultural programme was held yesterday at Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir, the folk festival is being jointly organised by the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL), the Department of Culture and the Tourism Department, to introduce local art forms to the tourists. The folk festival is being held at prime tourist spots regularly and will conclude on July 9.

While cultural programmes like bhand peather (folk theatre) and chakri (traditional Kashmiri music) are being performed as part of the festival, the JKAACL has also set up an exhibition at the Kashmir haat, putting on display traditional costumes, calligraphy specimen, traditional jewellery and other artefacts depicting the rich cultural heritage of the state.

Kupwara, May 19
Liyaqat Ali Shah, a former militant, who was released from detention yesterday, alleged that the Delhi police forced him to accept that he planned a terror attack in Delhi.

Liyaqat, who reached his home in remote Dardpora village of the Kupwara district, said on Holi, the police was set to execute him and label him as a dreaded militant but it (the police) could not execute as media had highlighted his arrest and a section of the media argued that I was an innocent.

“The Delhi police does not allow normalcy to gain ground in Kashmir. Muslims are falsely implicated in terror cases and put behind the bars,” said Liyaqat. He alleged that the police committed third degree torture on him and forcibly made to accept that he talked over phone with a militant commander namely Bahadur on his arrival in Nepal from Pakistan.

“For three consecutive nights, the police tortured me and finally made me to accept that I talked to militant commander on the phone and we discussed about carrying out a terror attack in Delhi. I was put in a small cell where I could hardly unfold my legs,” he said.

Liyaqat thanked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his personal intervention in seeking his release. “The day Omar sahib pleaded for fair investigations, the police kept telling me what was I to Omar. I told them he was a kind Chief Minister of the state I belong to. Media was kind enough to highlight my case and I am happy with the National Investigating Agency (NIA), which pursued my case on merits and disproved the claims of the Delhi police,” said Liyaqat. 

Kupwara, May 19
Navy divers and police personnel on Saturday retrieved the bodies of two minor boys identified as Sameer Ahmad, (6), son of Mohammad Ismail, and Dawood Ahmad Sheikh (6), son of Mohammad Subhan of Sheer Colony, Sopore. The two drowned in the Jhelum river near their colony while bathing on Friday evening.

The Navy divers, police and local administration had started the search operation soon after boys drowned in the fast flowing water of the river. The bodies were handed over to the relatives for burial. A pall of gloom descended on the village when the bodies reached there for burial. Thousands of people attended their funeral prayers.

Srinagar, May 19
The J&K Patwar Association, which is spearheading an agitation of over 3,000 patwaris and girdawars, has called for a protest on the office premises of the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, on Monday.

The patwaris and girdawars are on an indefinite strike in the state since April 7.

“We have asked all our members to assemble on the office premises of the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to protest against the government’s failure to address our genuine demands,” said a representative of the J&K Patwar Association. “We want that all our genuine demands be accepted at the earliest so that common people do not suffer any more,” he added.

Last week, the government had made an appeal to the striking employees to resume their duties on an assurance that their demands would be accepted.

“But, keeping in view the government’s past record, we did not call off our indefinite strike,” said another patwari. He said they would resume their duties only after the government would issue a formal order about removing their pay anomalies.

The striking employees have been demanding removal of pay anomalies and a ban on direct recruitment of naib tehsildar.

The worst sufferers due to the ongoing strike are the local residents who had applied for ration cards, state subject and category certificates.